ECA President John Harden is proposing that ECA grow a “Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum” to exhibit in the Seattle Area. Attached is a proposal for ECA Member review. Suggestions, feedback and comments are very desirable.

Fariabault Growers in Faribault, Minnesota sells some much hardier mums that we are accustomed to growing at ECA and several of our members have purchased some garden varieties and reported excellently rooted cuttings. Looking for something to dress up your yard? Give ’em a try.

After every Olympic event, rather than receiving their medals, athletes are given a
bouquet of flowers. At the Beijing Olympics, roses dominated the bouquets. In
Turin, it was rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias. This year, it’s green
mums and hypericum berries.

The bouquets come from Just Beginnings Flowers and Margitta’s Flowers in Surrey, British Columbia.
Their entry was chosen from 58 contending florists. June Strandberg, the bouquet designer and owner of Just
Beginnings, teaches floristry to women who have left prison, are recovering from addiction, or have been victims of violence. It’s a pretty amazing program, and Strandberg has even taken it behind bars, where she educates
convicts. She believes it’s her work with these correctional programs that secured the Olympic contract.

For the Vancouver Olympics the florists made 1,800 bouquets, 1,707 of which will be given to medal-winning athletes in the Olympics and Paralympics. The flowers are grown locally, but they aren’t in season during February, so additional supplies were flown in from Ecuador. The flowers were chosen to represent British Columbia and Canada, and are intended as keepsakes for the athletes.

There are even strict regulations for the bouquets presented at the flower ceremonies. Per IOC protocol, bouquets must be 20 to 30 centimeters tall and about 25 centimeters across. Though these flowers might look like something you give your mom at a homecoming football game, a lot of thought and planning goes into choosing and making these bouquets. When you consider the societal benefits behind these flowers,
it almost makes the bouquets as valuable as the medals.

Japan comes to Bellevue College for a weekend! A two-day program of Japanese cultural and educational events for all ages. Join with thousands of other visitors to celebrate Japan’s traditional and rich cultural heritage.

The matsuri includes 2 full days of on-stage Japanese Performing Arts, Japanese Martial Art demos by local dojo members, Puppet Shows based on Japanese Folk Tales, Tea Ceremony demonstrations in the Teahouse, 65+ Exhibit booths, and Japanese food booths. Browse through “Nomi-no-ichi … a Japanese style flea market” to make a lucky find! Meet with “Hello Kitty”!

This year’s features are:

Tsugaru Nuri (Lacquerware) and Tsugaru – Exhibit & on-going demonstration by Tsugaru Nuri Craft person, Kozo Fujino, and lecture on Tsugaru region (3 PM at Classroom C164 on both days) by Tsugaru District Researcher, Anthony S. Rausch (PhD), from Hirosaki, Japan.
Yakumaru Nodachi Jigenryu (one of the ancient Martial Arts of Japan) – A group of twelve (12) members from Kagoshima Headquarters and Tokyo branch of Yakumaru Nodachi Jigenryu Hozonkai lead by Head Master & President Ryuichi Higashi will give Hono Enbu demonstrations from 1 p.m. on both days. Prior to the demonstrations each day, Professor Hisashi Takahashi will give special Power Point presentations in English to introduce the history of Yakumaru Nodachi Jigenryu (12 PM at Classroom D101).
18th Annual Koi Show presented by Washington Koi & Water Garden Society with more than 200+ koi on display, judging Koi, Koi sales, lectures, and more!

Where else can you shop, eat, and browse so many diverse and interesting family activities in one location? Yes, there really is something for everyone!